Breech-loading firearm.



UNITED STATES Patented March 29, 1904.

PATENT OFFICE.

TO J. STEVENS ARMS Sz: TOOL COMPANY, OF

SAOHUSETTS, A CORPORATION.

CHICOPEE FALLS, MAS- BREECH-LOADING FIREARNI.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 756,039, dated March29, 1904. Application filed January 14, 1903. Serial No. 139,046. (Nomodel.)

To all whom t may con/cern,.- Y

Be it known that I, OSCAR F.v MOSSBERG, a citizen of the United Statesof America, residing at Chicopee Falls, in the county of Hampden andState of Massachusetts, have invented new and useful Improvements inBreech-Loading Firearms, of which the following iS a specification.

This invention relates to firearms, and has special reference to theconstruction lof a breech loading firearm of the breakdown type, theobject of the invention being to produce a gun in which the operation ofthe trigger will effect in successive movements the release of themechanism whereby the gun is fired and the operation of a lockingmechanism by which the barrel is locked in firing position in the frame,the construction and arrangement of the parts being such that theoperation of the barrel-locking mechanism' is rendered impossible at themoment of firing, and the operation of the firing mechanism is likewiserendered impossible when the trigger is adapted to. release the lockingmechanism.

In the drawings forming part of this application, Figure 1 is asectional view of the frame of the firearm, showing. the position of theparts when the locking mechanism is operated to permit the breaking downof the barrel, the plane of the section being lengthwise of the arm.Fig. 2 is a similar view showing the position of the parts just prior tothe operation of the locking mechanism to open the-gun. Fig. 3 shows theposition of the parts when the gun is cocked, this figure also beingshown in longitudinal section. Fig. 4 is a perspective view of thelocking-bolt.

Referring now to the drawings, the frame of the firearm is indicated byc. the barrel by b, which is hung pivotally in the frame on a pin o, thebreech tipping up to permit reloading. The under side of the breech endof the barrel is provided with a rib d, in the rear end of which is cuta notch, with which a spring-actuated locking-bolt e engages to securethe barrel 'in the frame in firing position.

This bolt e is shown in Fig. 4. in perspective and is located in therecoil-plate and is forwardly spring-pressed in a direction "parallelVwith the axis of the barrel by a coiled spring f, located in a holebored in the bolt, bearing against the latter and against a pin g,located in the recoil-plate transversely ofsaid bolt, the latter beingslotted, as shown, to receive said pin, which thus serves also toprevent the bolt from turning'. The under side of the bolt is Slabbedoff, as at h, Fig.- 4., whereby a suitable shoulder is provided for theengagement of ythe bolt-retracting hook c', pivotally secured near theforward edge'of the trigger j. The rear end of this hook has formedthereon a rearwardly projecting linger k.

The trigger j and the hammer m are both hung on the pin n.

0 indicates the Sear, and p t ger-spring combined.

The mainspring q is a spiral spring mounted upon a post r, havinga Shoes on the 4end thereof next to the hammer. The bearing erid of said shoeis forked, the ends of the fork bearing on the hammer respectively aboveand below the axis thereof. The opposite end of the post r enters asocketin the piece t, in which it may play freely. Said piece is beveledat its rear edge transversely ofthe frame, and a groove is cut in thelatter for said beveled edge, to the end that the post rmayrock on saidedge in its vertical movements imparted thereto by the hammer. f

It will be observed by referring to Figs. 2 and 3 that when the hammeris half-cocked, as in Fig. 2, both of the lingers on the shoe s come toa bearing on the hammer to hold it in this position, and when the hammeris at full-cock only the finger on the upper end of. the shoe bears onvthe hammer. As the hammer falls and it comes in contact with thefiring-pin u it will throw by the half-cocked position and coming incontact with the lower finger of the shoe move it rearwardly andcompress the mainspring more or less, whereby it will be immediatelyrebounded to half-cock position.

It will be observed that the sear 0 has a short upwardly-trending fingero thereon and e Sear and trigbelow this a short forwardly-projectingfinger full-cock notch is located, as usual, back of.

this. The hook'c', which operates the locking'- bolt, is held inposition to engage the latter by the provision of a bearing at m on theframe for the forward end thereof. The sear 0 swings in a vertical planeon the pin y, the trigger-spring being secured beneath it by a screw orrivet z, located back of the pivotal point y. yThe spring, as shown inFigs. 2 and 3, follows the contour of the sear to a point somewhatforward of the pivotal point of the latter, thereby pressing theforwardend of the sear against the under side of the hammer. Theessential point to be observed to arrive at a clear understanding of theoperation of the trigger, whereby its function is to operate the firingmechanism on one rearward movement and then to withdraw the locking-bolton the next succeeding movement to permit parts assuming the positionshown in Fig. 3.

This will bring the finger c in position to be drawn up onto the end ofthe sear by the rearward movement'of the trigger, and as the forward endof the hook c' cannot be swung downward the sear will yield"and will bedrawn out of the full-cock notch in the hammer, permitting the latter tofall. 'Io permit this iiring movement of the trigger, a space 2 is leftbetween the hook z' and the shoulder on the bolt e, with which itengages in operating said hook. Thus immediately after firing the hammerwill be left in rebounded position, as shown in Fig. l, the triggerbeing drawn back only as far as it is permitted to move, which distanceis determined by the depth of the V- shaped notch in the end of `thesear in which the finger lo comes to a bearing, and this notch is soproportioned as to permit the finger o to just clear the bottom of thehammer. If-now the trigger be released, the spring p, bearing on therear end thereof, will swing the latter forward, and as the partsapproach From theforegoing description it is clear that the trigger ofthe arm is adapted to perform not only its usual function, but thefurther function of the usual locking-lever, connected with a suitablelocking mechanism and located in a position to be conveniently operatedby the thumb or finger, but requiring a separate operation.

No extractor has been shown applied to the rearm; but any of the usualtypes may be used, as desired..

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secureby Letters Patent of the United States, is

l. In a breakdown gun, a hammer, a trigger and a locking-bolt for thebarrel, and suitable connections between the trigger and the hammer andthe trigger and the bolt, whereby when the hammer is .inoperative thetrigger, may operate the bolt.

2. The combination in abreech-loading firearm, of a' trigger, abreech-locking mechanism and a hammer, and suitable connections'be--tween the trigger and the hammer and the trigger and the breech -lockingmechanism whereby successive movements of the trigger may release thehammer and operate the locking mechanism.

Y 3. In a ybreakdown gun, a firing mechanism including a trigger, alocking-bolt to secure the barrel in iiring position, and suitableconnections between the trigger and lockingbolt to operate the latter bythe movement of the trigger, together with means operated by the hammer,whereby when the latter is raised, the bolt-operating devices arerendered inoperative.

4:. In a firearm of the breakdown type, a hammer, a trigger, and alockingbolt for the barrel; a sear to engage the hammer to hold it incocked position, a hook actuated by the trigger to engage thelocking-bolt to retract if, and means to effect thetripping of the searby the movement of said hook, without imparting movement to thelocking-bolt.

5. In a firearm of the breakdown type, a hammer, .a trigger, and alocking-bolt con nected to the trigger to secure the barrel in firingposition; a sear to engage the hammer to hold it in cocked position, andmeans operated by the hammer during its cooking movement to move saidsear int`o the path of movement of said locking-bolt, whereby theinitial movement of the latter will trip the sear, said hook beingmovable more or less without engaging the bolt.

6. In a firearm, a hammer, a mainspring for IOO IIO

ISO

- the latter consisting of a coiled spring, a post the plane of themovement of the hammer, elllloil'oled by the lastell;5 a shoe()J 01%olrlle end of said shoe having a bearing on the hammer. t e post againstW io one en o t e spring f bears, a socketed piece in which the otherend QSCJAR MOSSBERG 5 of the post slides, and on which the other endWitnesses:

of the spring bears, said socketed piece hav- WM. H. CHAPIN, ing abeveled edge on which it may swing in K. I. CLEMoNs.

